


Starshine

by psychobabblers



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: But Mostly Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Kiss, M/M, One Shot, season 7, talking about feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-24
Updated: 2018-08-24
Packaged: 2019-07-01 17:59:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15779196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/psychobabblers/pseuds/psychobabblers
Summary: Keith is worried about Shiro.





	Starshine

Keith was worried about Shiro. Ever since they had successfully transferred his consciousness to the clone body, he’d been quiet. He was riding with Pidge on Green, but Keith found himself wishing for Shiro’s solid presence in his Lion instead. If only to reassure himself that Shiro wasn’t going anywhere.

“Tell me about him,” his mom said, as if reading his thoughts.

“Who?” he asked, evasive even though he knew who she was talking about.

She looked at him with a fond smile. “Shiro.” Her smile dimmed a little. “I’ve never seen you like that before, when you thought he wasn’t going to make it.”

Keith sighed, biting back the defensive words that rose up in him, and the memories. A hot summer day and the police at his door. The silent ride to the hospital. His father with his eyes closed and so, so still, and never waking up and his face wet with tears, because everyone always left him and he was all alone in the world now.

Until Shiro.

“After Dad died,” he said. “I was so angry and confused. I lashed out. At everyone. Even people who tried to help me. I guess I thought if I pushed them away first they wouldn’t be able to leave me.” He could tell the words hurt her but she nodded without saying anything. Just listening. Accepting. He loved that about her. “Shiro was the first person who really saw me in a long time.”

“And now?” she prompted him gently.

It was hard to get the words out. “I’m worried about him.” And he was. They’d finally gotten Shiro back —and he still couldn’t believe that the Shiro they thought was real had been a clone—but he’d been trapped for months. That had to take a toll on him, even someone as strong as Shiro. Maybe  _ especially  _ someone as strong as Shiro.

“Have you talked to him about it?” she asked.

“Well, no,” he said. “I wanted to give him some space.”

“Perhaps in this case he’s has enough of ‘space,’” she suggested. Keith blinked and then wanted to slap himself. 

They’d been in their separate Lions for three days now, ever since they’d successfully moved his consciousness into the clone body. Shiro had been quiet all this time. “I’ll talk to him.” At that, Keith felt a rumbling in his very being. Black was making her opinion known.  _ I’ll help him _ , he thought.  _ We both love him _ . The rumbling subsided to a purr and then was gone.

His mom was looking at him a little oddly. “Just talking to my Lion,” he said. “Black agrees with you.”

On an impulse, he leapt up and gave her a hug. “Thanks Mom.” She didn’t reply but tightened her arms around him. 

The next morning they landed on a planet to restock their supplies and get a change of scenery. It was an icy planet, but there was plenty of drinkable water if you melted it down and enough root vegetation underneath the ice to make it worth the stop. 

Keith walked up to Shiro as he stepped out of the Green Lion, stretching. He felt his chest tighten at the sight of him. He’d almost lost him. Had in fact lost him more than once.

“Something on your mind, Keith?” Shiro asked.

“Yeah can we talk?”

Shiro tilted his head a little questioningly. “Of course.” 

“We’ll be back in a bit,” Keith told Pidge who was fiddling around with a scanner. 

“Okay,” she said, not looking up. “The coetozo levels on this planet are amazing!”

“Coetozo levels you say?” Keith and Shiro shared a glance and beat a hasty retreat as Coran ran over. “Incredible!” they heard him exclaim. “This is the perfect habitat for snorfles!”

“Uh, snorfles?” Hank said.

Shiro shook his head and smiled. “I’ve missed this.”

“Well you were trapped a long time,” Keith said, relieved that Shiro had brought up the topic himself. He’d do anything for Shiro, but he’d never mastered the art of heart to heart conversations. That had always been Shiro’s forte.

Shiro was looking at him strangely though. “I meant the past few days?” he said. “In the Green Lion?” 

_ Oh.  _ Keith firmly tamped down the panic beginning to set in. “Oh yeah,” he said and laughed a little, hoping it didn’t show. “I’m glad to spend time with my mom and all but after spending every waking hour with her for five straight days I’m so glad Pidge detected this planet.”

Shiro chuckled. “Green is definitely the smallest Lion. I’ve discovered that much for sure.” He stretched his arms over his head to exaggerate his point and Keith’s mouth went a little dry at the sight of flexing muscles. “Pretty sure I’m gonna have a permanent bruise from hitting my head every morning.”

“You should have Coran look at that,” Keith said.

Shiro made a face. “And have  _ both _ of you mother-henning me?”

“I’m not trying to—” Keith stammered. 

Shiro saw his face and looked surprised. “Don’t worry, Keith. I was just joking.” He looked at him more closely, and Keith saw the twinkle of mischief in his eyes fade to something serious. “Everything alright?”

“Yeah, no, I just, wanted to see how you were doing?” Shiro stilled.

Keith wanted to bury his face in his hands. Why was he so  _ bad _ at this? Shiro was finally relaxed and joking around and Keith immediately had to go and remind him of his ordeal. 

“...I’m having trouble sleeping,” Shiro admitted.

Keith was immediately alarmed. Shiro  _ never  _ had trouble sleeping, even in the time right after he’d escaped from the Galra Empire so long ago. He loved sleeping. It was kinda adorable, which was why it was worrisome if it was affecting his sleep. “I’m having nightmares.”

“Of what?” Keith asked.

“I don’t know,” Shiro said, brow furrowed. “There’s just darkness. And I’m always afraid.”

Keith didn’t know what to say.  _ Of what? _ he wanted to ask. But he didn’t know if Shiro wanted to bring his nocturnal monsters into the light of day. God knows Keith hadn’t, when it had been him with the nightmares. “And I’m always alone,” Shiro continued quietly.

“I’m sorry,” Keith said.

“What for?” Shiro asked.

“I should’ve been there for you. I should’ve known!”

“Keith—”

And then Keith leaned up and kissed him before he could protest that it wasn’t Keith’s job to look after him. It was just a gentle brush of their lips, nothing like the thousand different ways Keith had imagined it could be like to kiss Takashi Shirogane. But this wasn’t about Keith and his wants. This was about showing Shiro in the most tangible way he could that he wasn’t alone.

“I’m sorry,” Shiro whispered against his lips, shockingly. “I haven’t— not since—”

Adam had waited for Shiro in the end, despite his parting words to him. But after Shiro had gone missing, everyone had given up on him—the Garrison, the world, even Adam, eventually. Everyone except Keith, because he’d had no one else and nothing left. He knew they wouldn’t be doing this right now if Shiro hadn’t asked after Adam when they’d reunited, because Shiro was the most loyal person he knew. 

“Don’t be,” Keith whispered back, fiercely. 

Shiro was uncharacteristically uncertain and Keith felt humbled at Shiro’s trust in him.

“I don’t know what to expect on Earth,” Shiro said quietly, after they broke apart.

“What do you mean?”

“Everything’s changed since my mission. I’ve always known exactly where I was going. Now I don’t know where I stand with the Garrison. I’m missing an arm,” Shiro said. “I’m not even a Paladin anymore.”

“We need you,” Keith said. “ _ I  _ need you.” He put a hand on Shiro’s shoulder. “And hey, I would give up my place on Voltron if you wanted Black back. In a heartbeat. I’ve stepped away before, for you, um. For your clone.”

But Shiro was already shaking his head. “No, Keith. You are the leader of Voltron now. I would never break up the team like that.”

“I’m the field commander,” Keith said. “Which is fine with me, since the team needs someone for spur of the moment decisions. But with Allura’s time being taken up by being a Paladin, we still need you to be the face and leader of Voltron. No one could do it as well as you.”

Shiro looked down. Keith waited, fighting the urge to prompt him. “I’m just so tired sometimes,” Shiro finally said, as if he were admitting something shameful. And suddenly with a flash of clarity Keith remembered that Shiro wasn’t much older than the rest of them were now when he had been captured and held captive and tortured by the Galra, and that it had been nonstop for him since then, and that for as long as Keith had known him, he tended to shoulder everyone’s burdens and silently carry his own.

“It’s not all on you,” Keith said and Shiro looked up, looking startled by the urgency in his tone. “We’re a team,” he said firmly. “Teams help carry each other. You can lean on us whenever you need it. Me especially.” Shiro was just staring at him so Keith rambled on in a flood of words that seemed to have been bottled up inside him since he had met Shiro. “You’ve done so much for me Shiro. Not just getting me into the Garrison or whatever, but believing in me. You’re the person who’s stood by me the longest. I’ve always loved you for that.”

Surprise softened Shiro’s features so that he looked younger than Keith for a moment. “You’re a good man, Keith,” he said. “I’m the one who is lucky to know you.” On an impulse, Keith wrapped his arms around him and felt him relax a little in his arms. 

“Then let me help you,” Keith said, and after a moment, he felt Shiro nod. 

“Thank you Keith,” Shiro said. 

 


End file.
